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    Udon Yama

    4.2 (230 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Noodles
    Closed 9:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Udon Yama Photos

    Business Info

    UDON YAMA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Udon Yama

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    AmberAyame T.

    Still my favorite udon place ever. I always get the same thing. Large, cold kitsune udon w boiled/ tempura egg. The kids always get koroke and zucchini tempura. I'm always so excited for summers in Oahu, I think a lot of why is for this udon dish lol.

    Reasonable for Waikiki.
    Chez T.

    Located at the Waikiki Shopping Plaza food hall Udon Yama is good for a quick bite. There's a small buffet portion where you help yourself and pay by the item. Then when you get to the cashier you place your udon or curry order, order your drinks and pay for the items you helped yourself to. The sweet chicken that was in the self serve line was very tasty. Our curry was ready quickly and you seat yourself at any available table. There is a water station for self serve water and when you're done a place to drop off your dishes. There's no table service for anything and the place is kinda small. It's definitely a place where you eat and go, not somewhere to leisurely take your time. Prices are Waikiki prices so a little higher than average. Curry was good.

    2 #10's for lunch.
    Bob S.

    The food is very authentic and flavorful. It's like actually being in Japan as we go there often. The service was terrific with Tadashi at the helm. I love the ambiance and the ability to take what you need for takeout containers, bag and other things you wish to add to your food prior to take out. The place is super clean and cared for. What a great lunch we had and locals get a 5% discount which is great.

    Khoa L.

    Super disappointing. Fell for the reviews saying this was a better alternative to marugame and was such a lie. More expensive for way lesser quality food. Lukewarm temp and smaller portions.

    Beef lift
    Sam Z.

    I'm a local guy, that never comes to Waikiki, but I gotta say udon Yama is a good dine and dash. The line was out the door, and pretty casual.. Service was fast, pick your add-ons as well as pick your meal. Tonight, I had the beef udon which was flavorful and delicious and reasonably priced. Service was friendly, and courteous. Do I like coming to Waikiki ? No. But if I'm in the neighborhood, I would come back again. Follow me on Insta: @noodlesoupr Follow me on Yelp!

    nikutama cold
    jessica l.

    I came at 7:30pm on a Tuesday and there was plenty of seating. The service is extremely fast and the workers are nice. The restaurant is well decorated and very spacious. I got the cold nikutama and it was good, but not my favorite cold udon (that goes to yume in boston). The broth was lukewarm and lacked a little bit of flavor to me. The noodles themselves were cooked well and the meat was yummy --umami and slightly sweet. I wish the broth had a little more depth, but for the convenience I would come again.

    food
    P Y.

    Great late night spot. Food is so fast and tasty. Just go down the line and grab ur food. Plenty of space to sit. Got the beef udon combo and it was a good amount of food for 9.95!

    Fish cake tempura
    Evana L.

    This is my regular udon spot. I love the Nikutama and the Lemon bowls. I've tried the hot and cold broth of Nikutama and both are so satisfying. The Lemon bowl that only comes in cold is especially refreshing on a hot day in Waikiki. The broth is addicting and it's perfectly seasoned so that it's not too sour but it has just the right amount of acidity to make the simple bowl stand out. Their noodles have a consistent texture every time which I can rely on and appreciate. I've tried many of their tempuras and my favorites are the egg, zucchini, and seafood pancake. On top of that, the restaurant is such an easy and casual stop for lunch or dinner as they're right in front of the entrance of Stix, they have plenty of tables, and the self service bars for the tempura, utensils, and sauce are awesome.

    Nikutama Udon with (clockwise, from top) Chicken Tempura with Sweet Sauce, Zucchini Tempura, Sweet Potato Tempura, and Shrimp Tempura
    Mike L.

    Considering how long they've been around and how Hawaii is always so hot/warm, it's amazing to me how Marugame Udon still manages to attract a crowd. On multiple occasions, the line practically stretched around the corner! So, it's no wonder that, as we walked through the Stix Asia food hall, Udon Yama and its relatively modest line caught our eye. The same type of set-up and menu, yet in a much cooler space, with less than half the wait and plenty of available seating? How could we not give this place a shot? While the obvious similarities they share with Marugame Udon gave us hope, it should be said that even if they didn't, Udon Yama legitimately looked pretty appealing on its own. As we made our way down the line past the trays of tempura and side dishes, not only did everything look pretty good, but they felt a bit more varied as well. What's more, the range of entrees offered so many enticing options. While we were obviously here to try their udon (which they had almost a half dozen varieties of, served both hot or cold), I have to admit I felt more than a little tempted by their Katsu Curry Rice and Beef Bowl. -- (#1) NIKUTAMA UDON with Sweet Beef, Onion, and Hot Spring Egg (Hot)...$14.95 This was great! I loved the broth, which had a nice beefy flavor with a bit of sweetness to it, the noodles were well cooked with a nice bite, and there was fairly generous amount of beef in the bowl. Delicious! -- ZUCCHINI TEMPURA...$2.50 Hardly amazing, but not too shabby either. This legitimately might have been the longest zucchini tempura I've seen, but what I liked most was that it wasn't at all overcooked or mushy. -- SHRIMP TEMPURA...$2.50 Pretty straightforward, but still terrific! Since it's their most popular tempura, the workers were constantly refilling the tray, so these were especially hot and crispy. As for the shrimp itself, it was really plump and meaty. -- SWEET POTATO TEMPURA...$3 Of all of the vegetable tempura items we had, this was easily my favorite! The potato was soft, with a sort of creaminess to it, but still had some bite to it. -- CHICKEN TEMPURA WITH SWEET SAUCE...$4.50 Even though it's called Chicken Tempura, this felt a little closer to Karaage. Either way, this was pretty solid. The batter wasn't quite as crispy as I would've liked, but the chicken itself was really juicy and it tasted far better than the one I've had in the past at Marugame Udon. -- (#4) BEEF UDON with Sweet Beef and Onion in Kake Broth (Hot)...$10.75 Pretty similar to the Nikutama, though not entirely alike. Besides the obvious absence of the egg, the other thing we noticed was that this broth didn't taste quite as sweet. A little more plain in that sense, but still pretty good! -- MUSHROOM TEMPURA...$2.50 This just wasn't very good, though, to be fair, I don't think mushroom tempura ever really works since they're like sponges. So, as much as I appreciated how big this was, it felt a little soggy and oily. -- MIXED VEGETABLE TEMPURA...$3.50 Kind of similar to Yachae Twigim (Korean shredded veggie tempura), but not quite as good. That's not to say that this tasted bad, though; it's just that this one had a bit more batter, so it was harder for the veggies to stand out. -- SOFT BOILED EGG TEMPURA...$2.50 I only had a bite of this one, but what I had was pretty decent. I don't usually go for egg tempura because of how the batter doesn't usually stick to the egg, but I liked how the yolk on this one was so gooey. While what we had at Udon Yama wasn't as good as what I had when I first visited Marugame years ago, the same could be said for the trips I've made to the latter's locations in the Bay Area. Plus, when you factor in the shorter wait times, not having to wait outside, how much more seating there is here, and, most importantly, the fact that the food here isn't dramatically far off, I'd probably opt to come back here just to save on time and for the convenience...and to try their Katsu Curry Bowl!

    Nikutama Udon
    Kathleen P.

    This place is basically Marugame Udon but with a shorter or even no line! I do think Marugame's tempura is crispier, but, after trying Udon Yama for the first time, I came back the next day. It was pretty good! Monday around 7:30pm was way busier than Tuesday at 6pm. If you want something refreshing, get the cold lemon udon. I never thought I'd have lemon in udon, but as someone who loves tangy flavors, I really enjoyed opening up the slices and biting into them. I also tried the hot chicken teriyaki and the hot nikutama udon with both toppings on all which I would order again. I want to try everything on the menu! Prices seem to run about $1 more than SF's Marugame, but that's what you get in a tourist area. Still worth it. After you order and get your food, grab utensils, sauces, and self-serve water, then grab a table.

    Niku udon
    Sarah L.

    We know that there are a lot of really good Japanese food in Honolulu and we were really craving udon and decided to get this place a try. It's located in the basement of a food hall. We didn't wanna wait for the line for the other place and we're looking for something light and quick in my opinion. I honestly thought that the service was really quick and nice and also the concept is pretty similar to Marugame Udon in my opinion. The only thing is that the fried things are not always fresh . But I still decided to get the squid tempera which I enjoyed and the fried egg. I got the niku udon. I thought the broth was really good. It was light and also flavorful at the same time. The noodles were pretty good, but if you like it on the chewier it is on the softer end. But if you're looking for a quick udon place, this place has a lot of seating and I recommend .

    Rachelle C.

    Friends, I am team Udon Yama! A hidden gem in the STIX ASIA food hall there are usually no lines because of their friendly and fast service. I will say its a nice little escape from the crazy streets of Waikiki. A calm vibe all around. Such delicious comforting broth and freshly made udon noodles! Other popular udon restaurants (no shade), are also good but make me feel heavy, sleepy and slow right after. Udon Yama's broth was rich, earthy, yet very light and full of umami! The gyudon was also packed with flavor, happy that the sweet onions were not overpowering the beef flavors.

    Nikutama Udon + a variety of tempura. YuMmm! =)
    Jill F.

    @fortunefoodfinds: "Trust me, UDON-a like this! I always order a large Nikutama Udon to share + a variety of tempura from UDON YAMA located at Stix Asia in Waikiki. A place I L.O.V.E. to go with my family, where we enjoy n' eat happily!" Staff: fully staffed Interior: many table seating Exterior: located at the Stix Asia Food Hall Wait time: 5-10 mins Parking: Waikiki Shopping Plaza garage, validation available Overall comments: always go here when we visit this food hall. Udon is very good n' flavorful. Beef is tasty. Egg on top completes the dish perfectly. Large size is enough to feed two. They have a wide variety of self-serve tempura. My faves include the shrimp n' soft boiled egg, while my kids eat the croquettes. I actually eat the tempura with katsu sauce that makes it extra yummy. We usually finish everything, but if you do end up with leftovers they have everything you need to take it home. Great udon spot!

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    Fun Station

    Fun Station

    4.5
    (701 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    All I can say about eating at the - "Fun Station" is that it's more fun when eating with a friend,…read more& getting a 20% discount.........well, that's just an extra bonus! So the thing about coming to Fun Station is the "suspended flying noodle thingy" which I didn't go for, but if you like Instagramable stuffs, then I supposed you would probably go for that flying-noodle dish. As for me, I mainly came to try their Minute Chicken Cake Noodles, and as a bonus......... I actually got a 20% discount thanks to my friend - Jennifer C. who let a Bruddah know about da DEALAGES in da Sunday food section newspaper, as they had a coupon! The Sunday morning when I came with my friend, I can clearly see that this restaurant was thriving, as every table in the restaurant was taken. Fun Station specializes in noodles, but if you're not into that, they do serve other items like - soups, vegetable dishes, rice plates, & porridge (jook). Upon looking over the menu, we ordered the following items - 1. Frrrrrrried Chicken Wings ($9.95) for an appetizer 2. Minute Chicken Cake Noodles ($17.95 - minus da 20% coupon DEALAGES) 3. Beef Brisket Tendon & Won Ton in soup ($18.95) What can I say about da grub??? Da chicken wings came out hot & crispy. Although they featured only "flats" vs. drums (I like drums), I must say da wings was nicely executed. As for the Minute Chicken Cake Noodles.........nicely plated on a fancy smanshy panda plate. The cake noodles weren't drowning in gravy, so the noodles stayed crispy on the dish. I really liked how they did this dish, and would easily come back here to eat it again. My friend had the Beef Brisket Tendon & Won Ton soup. The dish looked good, and there weren't any complaints, so I take it that it was pretty ono! Overall, a very satisfying meal and the service here was on point, as the staff was friendly & very efficient. Easy 5 stars for the Minute Chicken Cake Noodles! Chance 'em!

    You could drive past this place a hundred times without giving it a second thought. It's tucked…read moreinto a small strip mall, the dining room is no frills and if someone told me it was just another average neighborhood Chinese restaurant, I'd probably believe them. Then the food starts arriving. We ordered way more than we needed and almost everything impressed me. The chow fun was cooked exactly the way I like it. Chewy, smoky and never overcooked. My only complaint was that it leaned a little saltier than I prefer, but it was still very good. The Hainan chicken was the surprise of the meal. Perfectly tender with an incredible ginger sauce that I'd happily put on just about anything. Even the dishes I normally avoid won me over. I've never been much of a lotus root person, but theirs was crisp, savory and honestly delicious. The wontons were another highlight. Since we skipped the noodles, they generously gave us extra wontons instead, which was a really thoughtful touch. What really pushed this place from good to memorable, though, was the staff. We were there with our two and four year old and they couldn't have been kinder. They brought over little toys to keep the kids occupied, checked on us throughout the meal and made us feel genuinely welcome. None of it felt forced. It was just warm, thoughtful hospitality and that's something I always remember long after I've forgotten exactly what I ate. The bathroom situation isn't ideal, you have to use the one outside the restaurant, but that's really my only complaint beyond the slightly salty chow fun. This isn't the place I'd recommend for date night or a long evening out. It's the kind of neighborhood restaurant you walk into expecting very little, then leave thinking, that was a lot better than it had any right to be. We'll definitely be back.

    Photos
    Inside the restaurant.....
    Inside the restaurant.....
    Choi Sum & Beef Cake Noodle
    Choi Sum & Beef Cake Noodle
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    Wonton close-up
    Marugame Udon

    Marugame Udon

    4.5
    (14.1k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Absolutely amazing noodle spot! There was a long line when we arrived, but it moved incredibly…read morefast. As soon as we got inside, we knew this place was going to be something special. Being able to watch them make the noodles in the back, combined with the incredible smell throughout the restaurant, made the whole experience even better. I ordered the curry udon, while my wife got the creamy broth, and we also shared the tempura shrimp. Everything was absolutely delicious. Honestly, this was probably our best food stop on the island. I'll be thinking about this restaurant for a long time. Where we're from, there's nothing even close to a place like this. If you're visiting the island, this is definitely a spot you need to try!

    Where do I even begin?!?! This place is an absolute gem!!! Marugame Udon offers some of the…read morefreshest and finest- handmade Sanuki udon on the island! Their noodles are made in-house (following authentic Sanuki traditions from Japan) and cooked daily. Customers order their noodles at the counter, pick their tempura from a self-serve station, and pay at the end. What's even more impressive- patrons can watch the chefs make the food right in front of them (making for a cool dining experience). Highly recommend getting there early- lines are insane! But for the most part, the line moves fast because meals are dished out quickly and guests eat and leave in a timely manner. And prices are relatively low compared to other places. I ordered the #2 Creamy Broth- creamy chicken broth topped with juicy pork chashu and a flavorful seasoned egg 10/10! This was absolute fire!!! My wife ordered the Chicken Katsu- lightly battered, well seasoned and packed with flavor. We also ordered a side of Shrimp Tempura and Potato Croquettes. Both were equally delicious, but the potato croquettes hit the spot with a well seasoned potato mash, encased in a golden deep fried breadcrumb 10/10! It's an absolute must!

    Photos
    You can watch as they make your food!
    You can watch as they make your food!
    Kake Udon
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    Dining Room!
    Seasons Taiwanese Eatery

    Seasons Taiwanese Eatery

    4.5
    (291 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    By far my favorite Taiwanese go to restaurant!…read more I highly recommend their popcorn chicken, so crispy, so juicy and the leaves not sure if they were basil or sobering else but the way they fry them and get them to also be super crispy is amazing. It's also seasoned perfectly, not too salty and you can add a level of spicy to your liking.

    The death knell is ringing for the Chinese (Taiwanese-Chinese, apparently) Cultural Plaza with the…read moreJune 2026 announcement of plans to can the place, so Seasons and all Plaza cohorts will meet their maker in a year! IRREGARDLESS I'd go back for the popcorn chicken (crispy, light fry, bite sized) and air conditioning. Sometimes Chinese food can get super saucy so the small plates - cucumbers, rolls, baos, and veg - work for me. It's serious 家常菜 or home-style cooking or quick food you'd find on the street: ong-choy, tomato-braised scrambled egg, garlic cabbage, essentially all the greats, shareable. Seasons also offers the beef soupy noodle sets, but when it's 85+ degrees out and sunny and 80% humidity, I do question ppl's judgement. I've always loved the Plaza, empty and partly abandoned, bec/ the design is conducive to good airflow and cooling, a much underappreciated architectural element in modern downtowns. But the bums and indigent love it more and sadly always leave some je ne sais quoi. Seasons finds itself across from the dim sum behemoth in Chinatown, Legends, but that's a different flavor profile. Still, quite nice to have variety.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    11. Classic Beef and Tendon Noodle
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    New location is around the corner, towards the canal.

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    New location is around the corner, towards the canal.
    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

    4.6
    (7 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    About 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, there was already a line of people placing their order for fresh…read morepulled noodles. We were told that the first batch would be served about 11 a.m. so we quickly put our order in. The first thing that caught my attention, was the savory aroma of their 5-spice ground pork being cooked. You can add this as a topping to the noodle dish. The second thing that caught my attention, was the labor of love going in to each order of fresh pulled noodles. You can watch him stretch the dough ball and slap it on the counter before he boils each batch with careful preparation. The third thing that caught my attention, was their adorable mother, helping to slice the cucumbers and top each dish with crushed iso peanuts. Do not forget to order the side of pickled bittermelon....so good!! From beginning to end, this was an incredible experience of all my senses! To see and hear them at work and then to taste the delicious sesame sauce on the fresh pulled noodles....WOW! The soft noodles, the crisp bittermelon, and the savory sauce....super delish! Seriously, go early to place your order. The wait is totally worth it :) Will come back next time to try other menu items.

    Shima Dreams of Noodles is a pop-up, located at Fishcake -…read more This place supposedly has a huge following, and people anticipate for the changing menu of various noodle dishes. When we went, the menu focused on udon: +Hot Yamakake Udon with Quail Egg (a special) +Cold Yamakake Udon (a special) +Hot Udon +Cold Udon The special udon dishes are servied with tororo (grated mountain yam), housemade tsukudani (seaweed braised in a sweet Japanese sauce), crispy nori, green onions, and an option to add wasabi. We went for both the hot and cold udon specials - I think it was a consensus that we would have liked to have more noodles in the dish. This is definitely a sweeter dish, with the tororo and the tsukudani. The place already had a long line, and the best way to enjoy would be to dine-in. Note that if you do order a carry-out, the quail egg would not be included. +ordering online is available +changing menu of noodle dishes +popup at Fishcake

    Photos
    Making fresh udon noodles!
    Making fresh udon noodles!
    Fresh pulled noodles with sesame sauce, 5 spice ground pork, and side of pickled bittermelon, so yum!
    Fresh pulled noodles with sesame sauce, 5 spice ground pork, and side of pickled bittermelon, so yum!
    Shima Dreams Of Noodles

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    Udon Yama - japanese - Updated August 2026

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